Bread for thought

It’s not an earth shattering subject for sure. There are far greater challenges in life and frankly, I’m not prepared for public discourse at this moment on the issues that truly threaten our civilization. But in the past few weeks, the situations that arose caused a great deal of stress for all parties. Certainly this is worthy of discussion when so many good souls are looking for guidance. So when asked to address this in my typically serious tone, I rose to the occasion. A public service announcement of sorts for your reading pleasure. At issue here? Your bread plate is on the left. Yes, just to the northwest of your fork sits that lovely dish waiting for its distribution of baked goods. And while I may seem to be poking fun at the topic, I really did partake of two uncomfortable lunch meetings recently while insecure guests waited with bread baskets in hand for a cue as to which plates were their real estate. The result was embarrassment, and more importantly, a delay in my bread consumption. (Maybe this was a good thing:)

Don’t get me wrong. These luncheons weren’t Animal House revisited, nor were the women in attendance uneducated. These were professional events with professional attendees, busily chatting and exchanging business cards. But not everyone learns this sort of thing as coursework. And we weren’t all raised by Ms. Manners. Thankfully, more critical topics are covered most meals. Baseball scores, homework, funny emails at the office, and other incredibly interesting subjects reign supreme.

So in the future, when it’s necessary to rest your bread at a round table with your boss or a group of strange (I mean unknown) women and the server is heading your way with the basket, averting your eyes may not work. Best to know the ground rules, confident that bread placement isn’t the only thing you’ve mastered this year.